No employer wants to go through a discipline and grievance process - they are time-consuming, potentially costly and can damage employee relations and reputation as well as the bank balance. However, many employers find themselves having to deal with th  More...
02 March 2011 16:49

Employers that lose employment tribunals could face a penalty of half of the award given to the claimant, as part of government plans for workplace dispute reforms. Last week, the Government published its consultation on reforming workpla  More...
31 January 2011 14:18

Mehta v Child Support Agency FACTS Ms Mehta brought unfair dismissal proceedings against her former employer, the Child Support Agency (CSA). Ms Mehta was unrepresented at the two day employment tribunal hearing, while the CSA was represented by   More...
31 January 2011 14:18

The Government has today published its plans to overhaul the way in which workplace disputes are resolved, as well as introducing an "employer's charter" to remind businesses of their rights. Described by the Government as the latest step in i  More...
27 January 2011 14:09

This morning I was unpleasantly surprised to receive a tribunal claim from one of my current employees, alleging discrimination against a line manager. I'm going to take legal advice, but what steps should I take in the short term, and what should I pre  More...
26 January 2011 11:00

Reading the reports over the last few weeks that trail the coalition Government's plans for employment law reform, it's tempting to feel sorry for Andy Coulson, the embattled former editor of the News of the World, currently communication  More...
18 January 2011 10:20

Former BBC Countryfile presenter Miriam O'Reilly has won her employment tribunal against the BBC on the grounds of ageism and victimisation but lost her case for sexism. O'Reilly, 53, was one of four women aged in their 40s and 50s who were told in   More...
12 January 2011 10:48

The TUC has hit back at claims by business groups that the tribunal system is in "dire need of reform" , saying that it is a myth that workers use it vexatiously. The TUC has urged the Government to stand firm in the face of employer lobbying,   More...
11 January 2011 15:41

Employees taking cases to an employment tribunal should have to pay a fee in order to discourage spurious claims, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The BCC has called for an overhaul of the employment tribunal system, which it say  More...
06 January 2011 10:38

Recent reports suggest that the Government plans to introduce charges for employment tribunals, in order to protect businesses by reducing the number of spurious or repeat claims by employees. The plans, reportedly part of a report by "en  More...
09 November 2010 12:58

Unite has lost its case in the Court of Appeal against British Airways' (BA) move to cut the number of cabin crew staff. BA made changes to staff contracts last November so that it could remove one cabin crew worker from all worldwide flights o  More...
03 November 2010 16:22

A woman who was sacked for taking time off to care for her asthmatic son has been awarded £8,700 at an employment tribunal. The judge ruled that Alison Balch, who took time off seven times during her six-month trial period at Royal Mail, had been un  More...
05 October 2010 15:48

Most of the Equality Act 2010  came into force on 1 October 2010 and employers need to make sure they comply with the  changes to legislation. Warning: This page is no longer updated. It has been   More...
22 September 2010 15:19

For a limited time only, Personnel Today Plus members can access a full model policy on equal opportunities which takes the Equality Act 2010 into account With elements of the Equality Act coming into force at  More...
22 September 2010 12:59

The Tribunals Service has published its statistics for 2009/10. As has been the case for the last few years, the news has given rise to headlines of "rocketing" tribunal claims. While it is true that the number of accepted claims for 2009/10 is 56% high  More...
13 September 2010 12:30

The Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT) is appealing the whistleblowing element of a tribunal ruling which led to a £1.2 million payout to a former NHS boss . An employment tribunal ruled in March 2010 that John Watkinson, ex-chief executive of  More...
13 September 2010 12:04

Following this week's publication of statistics from the Employment Tribunal Service that there has been a 56% rise in the number of accepted tribunal claims , Laura Chamberlain ranks the discrimination cases by the size of awards and also lo  More...
08 September 2010 12:34

The number of employment tribunal cases rocketed by more than 50% last year as employees fought back against recession cutbacks, official figures have revealed . In the 12 months ending 31 March 2010, 236,100 workers brought claims to tribunal  More...
06 September 2010 12:11

Sharon Shoesmith is free to appeal the ruling over her sacking as the head of children's services at Haringey council following the Baby Peter affair. In April 2010, Mr Justice Foskett rejected Shoesmith's claim for a judicial review of her di  More...
02 September 2010 12:04

Despite the rights or wrongs of a case, the cost of going to an employment tribunal can be high. Employers must consider the financial implications, says Darren Newman. The cost to employers of defending an employment tribunal claim was highlighted   More...
01 September 2010 09:31